Back a public vote now, Labour donors tell Corbyn

Over 40 Labour donors and long-standing members have written to Jeremy Corbyn demanding that he “back a public vote without further delay”.

The letter, sent to the Labour leader today, warns that “time is dangerously short” and “the current deadlock is slowly but surely wrecking the economy”.

Citing Theresa May’s “dismal record as a negotiator” and “propensity to put party before country”, the party donors say they could not trust her to deliver the right Brexit result – even if parliament were to vote for Labour’s alternative Brexit plan.

Many of the signatories are members of Labour’s Rose Network, and the list includes some who have donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Labour Party.

Below is the letter to Jeremy Corbyn in full.

Dear Jeremy,

We write to you as long-standing Labour members and supporters, from business, public service and the professions.

You were right to say in Wakefield earlier this month that “it’s the failed system, rigged against the many to protect the interests of the few, that is the real cause of inequality and insecurity”. This is responsible for high bills, rising debts, insecure work and people forced to use food banks.

And that’s why we need a Labour government: to invest in vital industries; to help places that have been robbed of their future by the toxic combination of misguided economic policies, lack of investment and drastically declining public services.

But despite defeating Theresa May’s destructive Brexit deal, we have so far failed to force a general election. And now the country is staring into the abyss as Tory extremists push for us to crash out of the EU with no deal at all.

If this happens, working people will be hurt the most. There will be no money to invest in new technologies of the future – and no money for proud, generous communities that have been held back for decades.

Labour policy is to consider all remaining options, including a public vote. But time is dangerously short, and the current deadlock is slowly but surely wrecking the economy. Even if parliament, against most expectations, were to vote for Labour’s Brexit plan, given the Prime Minister’s dismal record as a negotiator and propensity to put party before country, we could never trust her to deliver the result that Labour proposes and the country needs.

We therefore believe that the party must move to the only logical conclusion: trust the people and ask them whether they still want to quit the EU now they know what Brexit really means.

Time is running out. The economy is already bleeding. As longstanding and committed party members, we urge you to back a public vote without further delay.

In solidarity,

1. Hamish Sandison, Chair Labour Business

2. Tommy Hutchinson, Founder CEO I-Genius

3. Cllr Jo Blackman

4. Kate O’Rourke, Lawyer

5. Stephen Kinsella OBE

6. Dame Glenis Willmott, Former Leader EPLP

7. Sir Ken Collins, Former MEP

8 David Cockroft, Former General Secretary International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)

9. Howard Pallis, Solicitor

10. Jon Browning OBE

11. Rt Hon Keith Hill

12. Prof. Rosemary Sales

13. Keith Lichman, Former Councillor

14. Gary Titley, Former Leader EPLP

15. Carole Tongue, Former MEP

16. David Harley CMG

17. Patrick Costello, Labour International

18. Monica Threlfall, Senior Lecturer

19. Nilly Sarkar, Labour International

20. Anne Page

21. Bruce Page, Journalist

22. Don Brind, Journalist

23. Anita Pollack, Former MEP

24. Robert McFarland, Chartered Accountant

25. Michael Rubenstein, Journalist

26. David Earnshaw, Chair Brussels Labour

27. Michael Hindley, Former MEP

28. Chris Pond, Chair Lending Standards Board, Former MP,

29. Lorraine Pond, Former Mayor Tower Hamlets

30. Jo Wood, Labour International

31. Win Griffiths OBE, Former MEP and MP

32. Maggie Coulthard, Labour international

33. Frazer Clarke, Labour International

34. Peter Wragg, Labour International

35. Anne Corbett

36 Paula Kahn

37 Frances Pinter

38. Annie Hedge

39. Howard Gennmerster

40. Mike Vessey

41. Keir Fitch

42. Peter Kenyon

This article was amended to reflect that not all of the signatories are current donors.

Sienna Rodgers

Daily email

Everything Labour. Every weekday morning.

Value our free and unique service?

LabourList has more readers than ever before - but we need your support. Our dedicated coverage of Labour's policies and personalities, internal debates, selections and elections relies on donations from our readers.